Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum has been around for a while – 43 million years, to be exact.

In the past month, though, the historic site, owned by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, has received the high honor of being added to the Washington Heritage Register, a statewide list of recognized historic properties.

The state Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation announced June 29 that Tamanowas Rock at milepost 1 on Anderson Lake Road joined more than 1,800 other "historic and culturally significant properties which have been recognized for their unique contributions to Washington's heritage" by being added to the registry, a high honor for properties of this type.

In a press release sent by Leanne Jenkins, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe planning director, explained that the tribe began the process of getting the property on the registry by enlisting the help of Gideon Cauffman, the cultural resources specialist at Jamestown, to research and survey the site after applying to the National Park Service for a Historic Preservation grant titled "Tamanowas Rock: Documenting a Sacred Site."

This grant paid for the research carried out by Cauffman, which eventually led to the application to the Washington Heritage Register.

Jenkins wrote that the advisory council in charge of inductions to the Washington Heritage Register quickly voted in June in an 8-0 decision to have a Tamanowas Rock nomination sent to the keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. with a request that the property be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the state, having a property on one of both of these registries comes with certain benefits. These include tax credits, property tax deductions and code waivers to protect the resource. Being added to these registries also includes protections to property from federal and state actions that would harm the property's historic values.

Jenkins said Tamanowas Rock has been used by native people for many years as hallowed ground and a sacred location for spirit and vision quests. The rock is open to the public for viewing and enjoyment, though the site has experienced its fair share of trouble.

As reported by the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader last year, Tamanowas Rock was defaced with graffiti reading, "I (heart) Miranda." While acts like this do not happen often, the incident did require complicated removal of the graffiti that could have led to damage of the rock.

According to Jenkins, this addition to the Washington Heritage Register is the third historic cultural place joining the ranks of Snoqualmie Falls and Mount Saint Helens.